by Casey McGuire

There was this idiot out on the trail the other day, wearing a long-sleeved, black, cotton, shirt in about 97 or 98 degrees (about 36°C), and all I could think was, I sure hope my shorts match. So, why would I do this? Well, I sometimes get these premonitions about things, and I’m foreseeing the weather will start warming up here soon.

I’m in a desert, and within a month, temperatures should start getting up over 110 (over 43°C). I have no problems with that, and actually like it more. I’ll still be out in the middle of the day, dropping ten or more miles down on dirt.

I am well aware that most people don’t feel the same way I do about heat. I don’t actually remember the last time I ran by someone when it was 115 (46°C) out.

As it is already starting to warm up slightly, I know that people are beginning to cut their runs short, or change up their times to run drastically, or even move things inside to a treadmill, the poor souls. Personally, and I believe many may feel this way, I don’t like to shorten my runs. If anything, I like to add a mile now and again. Changing the time to run isn’t always easy to do, and can be a real inconvenience on a daily schedule. Some just cannot afford to run at any other time than when they do. As for the treadmill, need I really go into that? One of the greatest things about trail running is a trail. Without one, trail running loses a lot of it’s meaning.

So, for me, I like to prepare myself for the heat. I do love the Summer, but the temperatures rise so quickly here that the body needs to gradually adapt to avoid any serious heat damage (not that my brain hasn’t faced plenty). It just helps to inch closer to the sun before you walk on it.

I don’t do the rigorous Badwater ultra training, but in many regards, what I do is similar. For example, being that idiot with the long-sleeved, black, cotton, shirt, is a similar approach that Badwater athletes use. Whereas I am not preparing for 135 miles at once, and Death Valley is about 5 degrees warmer, on average, than here, I will be making tracks in dirt daily throughout the Summer.

No matter how hot it gets, it’s all relative to you and what you can, and will, tolerate. I am no super hero just because I can take the heat. I start getting cold, and throw on a sweatshirt, when temps drop way way way down to 75 (24°C) or so.

What do I do to prepare for my heat?

Dark, and/or, heavy clothing

Dark clothing absorbs heat, so I currently like to take out darker clothing to draw as much heat in as I can. I have the luxury to be able to wear shorts year round, so I just do, but one can wear sweats, or longer pants to keep warmer as well. I also wear cotton right now, so there is little wicking of sweat from my body. Obviously, when Summer does arrive, the opposite of doing this would be a wise move.

Water, water, water

Force it down! Just as your body processes food better when you eat more, and more frequently, get the body to start processing water, or other fluids. The Summer heat can draw out a lot of fluid and electrolytes, and if your body is not efficient in processing them, replacing them will be difficult, and dehydration is little to no fun. If you pee it out now, it’s fine, your body will adapt and begin to store more with a little time. Drink fluids now as if it were the middle of the Summer. I can go through 60 - 80 ounces of water per hour during my Summer runs, so it helps me to know I am able to drink that much without becoming nauseated. Don’t force down too much at once, but get used to drinking a little more each day.

Time of day for trail running

If you have a schedule that can accommodate running at a different time, then take advantage of that. If you don’t care to make a drastic change, then move your trail run up 15 minutes every other day, if you’re a morning runner, or 15 minutes later, if you’re an afternoon runner. Within 8 days, you’re running when it’s an hour cooler.

If you don’t have that luxury, jump all over the warmest days now to be prepared for the Summer. I check the forecast (in case my premonitions fail me), and make my longer runs on the hottest days of the week.

Avoid shade

Get out in the sun! That’s the thing that is actually bringing the heat down to us, so make it one of your trail running partners. It’ll teach you how to gradually get used to the heat. I don’t have any shade in the desert, so I really don’t have a choice, and am not at all sure why I thought to share this tip with you.

Again, this might be the opposite of what you’d want to do when it really starts to heat up. Also, regardless of what time of year, protect yourself from the sun when you do get out in it. I must admit that I’m a sun worshiper, but I recommend covering skin, or using sun block with a high SPF.

Drastic measures

My other suggestions are a bit more in the realm of sanity, but if you just want to be as uncomfortable as possible now in order to possibly be comfortable later, take hotter showers, roll the windows up in your car and blast the heat, dress warmer at all times, and hit a sauna or hot tub on occasion. All these are good ideas if you’re training for the big Badwater race, but I think a little extreme for the average trail runner looking to acclimate to seasonally warmer weather. Nonetheless, they’re more ideas.

Use your judgment for yourself and the heat. If you can’t tolerate it, take it inside. If you feel at all different than you are used to, get light headed, dizzy, nauseas, etc. stop running, and take it inside. These tips are just some things I do (with the exception of the “drastic measures” category) to prepare for my desert heat. I have been doing the same thing for years, and am very used to dealing with high temperatures. This doesn’t mean that I wish to put anyone at risk out on the trails. I do however, realize that many trail runners just don’t let anything get in the way of their runs, and maybe some of these ideas might make for more gratifying running in the heat of the Summer.

There will be information coming on how to deal with the heat as the Summer gets nearer. Besides the water, water, water, anything here then becomes pretty useless, if it isn’t already.

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